Category: stories

I shared a story Sunday from the late Dwight L. Moody. A wealthy man in a congregation had a friendship with another man in the church who always seemed to have difficulty handling money. Try though he might, he could never seem to make good financial decisions so he was constantly broke. The wealthy man, who had a gift of handling money, wanted to help but knew he needed to be wise. Going to the pastor of the church, he shared that he wanted to be an anonymous giver. Each week he gave the pastor an envelope to deliver to his friend. The envelope always contained a five dollar bill (which went much further 100 years ago). On the outside of the envelope, these words were written: MORE TO FOLLOW. Dwight Moody used this example to tell of our God of grace who always gives us what we need.

As I finished telling this story, Susan punched my arm and whispered, “Oh, I forgot to tell you. You got a card in the mail this week that contained a gift from Miss Mozella. She sent you five dollars!” Mozella is a sweet lady in Chattanooga who always encouraged my brother, Brian, who worked several years as a missionary in the inner-city. She always has a smile on her face and she always gives me a big hug. To Mozella, five dollars is not a small amount of money and I am so grateful for her kindness. But I know Miss Mozella is simply a vessel of her Master. God knew I needed to be reminded this week that He is in control and that He will give us everything we need.

Many of you know we did not get a good blood report Monday. Tomorrow a port will be put in my arm that will enable easy access to an artery. Monday I am scheduled get my first round of chemo. A friend sent me an encouraging Scripture from Nehemiah 8:10. “Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” How I want this to be true! Do you know what the first part of this verse says? “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared.” While I have an appetite, this sounds like a good idea! If you have nothing prepared, let me know!

“As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. ‘I tell you the truth,’ he said, ‘this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.’” Luke 21:1-3

As I write, my blood is on the way to the labs for evaluation. I studied as hard as I could for this test, but I don’t know that I’m going to pass! 🙂 I sure am grateful to all who have prayed. Results will come sometime next week.

I felt honored when asked to share a word of encouragement with a group of missionaries while we were in Israel. It can be a bit intimidating to speak to men and women who literally put their lives on the line in the mission field. But these brothers and sisters humbly admit they are no different than us, and we understand that no Christian is exempt from the attacks of the evil one.

Worry is one of those weapons the enemy uses to discourage and detain the children of the King. If God gives the missionary the grace not to worry about the dangers in the land, the temptation to worry about finances and support might creep into the mind. Sitting on the hill overlooking the Sea of Galilee, where many believe Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount, I shared what I felt the Lord showed me the previous day. Some of these friends knew that my blood counts had revealed the return of cancer, so I asked if it was possible for me to follow Jesus’ instructions about worry. “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life… Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”

The day before this trip to the northern part of Israel, we retraced the last steps of Jesus from the room of the Last Supper to Gethsemane to Pilate’s residence to Golgotha. As we read the Scriptures on the Passion of Christ, I couldn’t help but wonder if he worried. We know Jesus lived out the Sermon on the Mount perfectly, but what was going through his mind as he faced betrayal and death? Did he whistle a tune and pretend nothing was wrong? Such a thought is absurd. “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” were the honest words of a man in anguish.

When I walked into the Church of the Nations at Gethsemane, a flood of emotion hit me. Part of it was remembering what Jesus endured on my behalf, but another part dealt with my own circumstance. I understand the plea, “Abba, Father, let this cup pass,” but I desire the attitude that enabled the rest of the prayer. “”My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”

Jesus showed us the secret to dealing with worry; he went to the Father. How else could he have faced denial, desertion, accusation, beating, mockery, crucifixion, and all the sins of the world? No one has ever faced a trial with such courage, poise, and lack of fear as our Master did. The time He spent in prayer to His Father at Gethsemane prepared him. Now he invites those who are frightened and weary to come to him.

Another significant thing happened at Gethsemane. Jesus asked his friends to watch and pray. I’ve fallen asleep in church too many times to suggest that I would have done any better than Peter, James, and John, but I hope I’ll pray for my friends. We do not know the difference our prayers make. Jesus told Peter that he had prayed that Peter’s faith would not fail. That’s what I need my friends to pray for me… and that’s what I want to pray for my friends.

“He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, ‘Father if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will but yours be done.’ An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. ‘Why are you sleeping?’ he asked them. ‘Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.’” Luke 22:41-46

First, I would like to thank everyone for encouragement and prayer. I don’t know how it works, but somehow I think God lets every prayer and every kind word be a part of His tender goodness. The doctor outlined the plan we expected last week saying we would start treatment the upcoming weekend. The urgency hinged on the fact that my red blood count and platelet count were extremely low the previous week. As we closed our meeting, the doctor walked with me to the room where my blood is tested. “Maybe your counts will be up,” he said. “If they are, I don’t need to start chemo, right?” I asked. “I wouldn’t count on them being up,” he replied. Well, both counts were up and though the high protein still keeps me in a similar status, I received a few more days of freedom. We agreed that if the protein does not drop in the next couple of weeks we should start treatment. Your prayers are treasured!

On the way to this appointment I was reminded, in a stinging way, of one of the purposes of the bountiful grace of God. I had just filled up my car with gas (a painful experience these days) and was driving out of the parking lot when a man a few years younger than me yelled, “Can I ask you a question?” Pretty confident he intended to ask me for money and knowing I was on my way to an important meeting, I simply waved and shouted, “I’ve got to go!” As I drove out on the main road it hit me what I had just done. Here I was, knowing that I am coming to the end of normal life, turning away from a person who may have been in need. Only fifteen minutes earlier I had just thanked God for His abundant grace and now I was refusing grace to another. I didn’t even take the time to hear the guy’s question because in my mind I had judged his intentions. I drove a block and turned around, but of course the man was no where to be found.

How could one who has been given so much squander an opportunity to help another? God pours His grace on us that we might offer His grace to others. To love others as Jesus loves us is the greatest thing we can do on this earth. Brennan Manning, author of A RAGAMUFFIN GOSPEL, reminds us of the extravagant lives Jesus calls us to live:

As Christians living in the Spirit, we’re called to pass on the tenderness of God. The parameters of our compassion extend beyond those who opt for our lifestyle, favor our existence, or make us feel good. Charges of elitism are dropped for the lack of evidence. Peace and reconciliation for all, without exception – even for moral failures – is the radical lifestyle of Christians living in the wisdom of accepted tenderness. We may be called friends of tax-collectors and sinners – but only because we are (or should be). We understand that we’re in the company of some rather honorable people; in fact, we’re in the company of Jesus himself. According to the gospel, it’s unrestrained tenderness and limitless compassion that stamp our relationship with the Father of Jesus as belonging to the order of the Really Real. (from THE WISDOM OF TENDERNESS)

“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” John 15:12

Some of you may remember me writing about a little friend I met on an airplane from Paris to Atlanta a couple of years ago. He was a seven year old Jewish boy named Roy and his father, Steve, became an instant friend. Several months ago, Steve moved to Israel and we lost contact. Six weeks ago, Steve called to tell me he was getting married. He was so excited to hear Susan and I were coming to his country. “Call me when you arrive and we’ll work out a time to get together!”

The day we arrived in Jerusalem, I called Steve and we set a Sunday evening meeting place by the Dung Gate (though an interesting name, this is a very busy gate to the Old City). My friend and his new bride drove over two hours from the Mediterranean coast through the traffic of Tel Aviv and Jerusalem to take us out to eat. I was amazed that this father would make such sacrifice for a man that he has only met once. But I understand what motivates him… one day I was kind to his son.

The Heavenly Father lets His plan to rescue a fallen world be rooted in such a powerful relationship. “Come to My Son and I’ll let you come to Me. Love the Son and the Father loves you. Put your faith in My Son and be part of My family.”

Jesus showed a similar longing when He came to earth. “I have made You known to them and will continue to make You known to them…” Jesus wants everyone to know His Father. So often He was angered when those that pretended to know God misrepresented Him. When people rejected His words, Jesus told them the reason. “He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”

I think I’ve reached a point in life where I’ve decided there’s only one thing that really matters: knowing God. I want Steve and his wife, Anat, to know God. I want little Roy and his mom in Paris to know God. I want all the orthodox Jews who rock back and forth at the Wailing Wall praying for the Messiah to come to know God. I want the kind Arab teenager who led us one day through the city streets to know God. And if I have a taste of this wonderful dream, what must Jesus desire? He wants everyone to know love! How He must weep as people attack one another. We shake our heads at the hatred-inspired violence in many parts of the world, but God doesn’t see much difference in our country as hatred-inspired words fill the airwaves. Jesus knew He was the answer, so He prayed accordingly:

“Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they (the disciples) know that you have sent me. I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.” John 17:25-26

Hearing a big commotion from the house where our guys stayed, we ran from our work area to see what was going on. Ephraim, a young missionary from the northern part of Namibia, stood with a big smile on his face.”Look at this!” he said.

“I was cleaning my room when I felt something hit my leg.” He pointed to a liquid substance running down his dark calf muscle. “I just ignored it and kept cleaning. But when I went to pick up my shoe, something touched my hand. This is what it was!” Ephraim held up a dead snake. From across the room, a spitting cobra had hit a potential victim from his dark hiding place. How happy we were that the snake chose to spit rather than strike when Ephraim picked up his shoe. A young man believed that God had rescued him… and we stood in amazement.

The snake in the Garden struck in a way that poisoned all mankind and God cursed him. “Cursed are you above all livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” (Genesis 3:14-15)

Do you remember the dramatic scene of Jesus stomping the snake in Mel Gibson’s movie, THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST? What a victory the Second Adam won as He defeated the devil and brought life to fallen man. (see Romans 5)

But we still see the evil one at work in this world. How cunning he remains as he seeks to poison every man and every woman. We can trust, though, that his time is short. Keep your eyes on the Savior who was lifted up and who brings us all victory!

“The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.” Romans 16:20